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Report: Timberwolves talking max extension with Karl-Anthony Towns

By Jason Patt

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 23: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves goes up for a dunk against the Houston Rockets in Game Four of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on April 23, 2018 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 23: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves goes up for a dunk against the Houston Rockets in Game Four of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on April 23, 2018 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Despite some drama, the Minnesota Timberwolves are preparing to fully commit to Karl-Anthony Towns.

The Minnesota Timberwolves ended their lengthy playoff drought this past season, but there has been talk of internal turmoil swirling around the club. There have been reports about Jimmy Butler’s displeasure with the attitudes of key young teammates Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, the latter of whom received a five-year, $146.5 million extension last summer.

Now it’s Towns who’s in line for a fat new contract, and the Timberwolves are discussing a maximum rookie scale extension despite the recent drama, according to Michael Scotto and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Towns is currently eligible for the five-year, $158 million extension Devin Booker just signed with the Phoenix Suns, but the 22-year-old big man has a good chance of hitting Rose Rule criteria in 2018-19 and making that extension worth around $190 million when it begins in 2019-20. Towns probably won’t win MVP or Defensive Player of the Year to become eligible for the larger max, but all he has to do is make another All-NBA team after making third-team All-NBA this past year.

Butler himself is eligible for a four-year, $110 million extension, but it’s not in his best interest financially to sign it, even if he’s not actually unhappy in Minnesota. Timberwolves president and head coach Tom Thibodeau recently side-stepped questions about the relationship between the two stars:

Even if Butler is “fed up” and considering going elsewhere when he hits free agency in 2019, committing to Towns is the obvious move. Butler may be the more impactful player now and a Thibs favorite, but Towns is the future of the franchise. Trading a 22-year-old Towns to placate a 28-year-old Butler would be a huge mistake, and Butler could wind up leaving anyway.

Towns put forth a fantastic third season as the Timberwolves made their big leap. While his scoring averaged dipped from 25.1 points per game to 21.3 thanks to the arrivals of Butler, Jeff Teague and Jamal Crawford, Towns recorded a career-high 64.6 true shooting percentage and was as prolific as ever on the glass. He also made strides defensively, though there remains plenty of room for improvement on that end.

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Towns struggled in the playoffs against the Houston Rockets, but that’s not all that surprising for a youngster making his postseason debut against a 65-win team. Those failures will be a learning experience for him that should make him hungrier for the future. The Timberwolves are hoping he and Butler can set aside any differences and help them take the next step in 2019-20.

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